November 20, 2015

On Tuesday morning, about 15 first and
second graders at Windham Christian Academy started their day by hosting a
pancake breakfast for local Veterans.

According to first and second grade
teacher Lynn Dodd, she was inspired by her husband’s 20 years of service to
organize the breakfast.

“I’m very passionate about Veterans’
issues,” she said.

Over the past two weeks, students have
learned about the sacrifices made by armed forces members, and have learned
about the many different jobs they perform.

“[It’s] a very important history, and
there’s not much of that teaching,” said Dodd.

Dodd said that the students were asked
to find a Veteran in their community, interview them, and invite them to the
breakfast.

“It’s the first [breakfast], and first
annual,” said Dodd. “It’s a really great learning experience. They’ve learned a
lot about what it means to be a Veteran.”

Isaiah Irish, a student at Windham
Christian Academy, was excited to interview a Veteran.

“I asked him how many years he had
served,” said Irish. “I learned that running in boots is hard,” he said.

After the breakfast, the first and second
graders recited a poem they memorized in honor of the Veterans, and presented
them with gift baskets.

Veterans at the breakfast served in a
number of military branches. A number of students brought their parents to the
breakfast, some still on active duty. After the ceremony, the students were
given poppies and given a brief history lesson on the US Flag.

“[Students] feel like they have a way to
know about the freedoms that these people had to give up,” said Veteran
Jennifer Eaton, who attended the ceremony with her son.